40 
MONKEY TRICKS. 
betore they can take tneir proper place in creation, and become the trne servants and com- 
panions of man. It rests with man, who gave names to all living beings, to complete the work 
which God began in making them, and by stooping from his own superior nature, to be a 
protecting and loving providence to the beings that are placed under him. By so doing, man 
draws out, fosters, and develops the better nature which is inherent in every animal, and which 
would remain concealed, like a seed in ice-bound soil, unless it were brought into vigorous life 
by the genial influence of a higher being. I cannot believe that any animal is utterly untame- 
able, and so totally brutish as to be insensible to the touch of kindness. There are many 
animals which are proof against the old-fashioned way of education, and which are only 
rendered more fierce and obstinate by the tortures and blows which were formerly so freely 
bestowed on animals in course of training. But these very animals have proved to be sensitive 
to gentle and kind treatment, and, though fierce and savage towards one who only approached 
in order to torment, became docile and subdued when in the hands of a tender and sympa- 
thetic owner. 
The same rule holds good with human heme's *. and the great and beautiful truth becomes 
daily more apparent, that severity of punish'"" °nt has an injurious rather than a beneficial 
effect, and that the only true rule is that of love. 
The Grivets and Vervets are frequent visitors to our land ; and being extremely inquisitive 
in character, as well as active in body, play strange pranks in their land of exile. One of 
these creatures which resided in London some few years ago, caused considerable annoyance 
to his neighbors, one of whom very kindly favored me with the following account of some 
of his misdemeanors. 
“ A few years ago, we lived next door to a lady who had a pet monkey, which was one 
of the most imitative and mischievous little beings that ever existed. His imitative nature 
caused the servants so much trouble, that he had not a friend among those of his own house. 
“One day he observed the ladies’ -maid washing her mistresses’ lace; and his offers of 
assistance having been somewhat roughly repulsed by her, chattering and scolding he went 
forth in search of adventures. Unfortunately, my windows were invitingly open, and he 
entered, with the idea of washing fresh in his head. 
“ His spirit of curiosity induced him to open two small drawers, from which he abstracted 
their whole contents, consisting of lace, ribbons, and handkerchiefs. He placed these things 
in a foot-pan, together with all the water and soap that happened to be in the room, and he 
must then have washed away with great vigor ; for when I returned to my room, after an 
absence of an hour or so, to my astonishment, I found him busily engaged in his laundry 
operations, spreading the torn and disfigured remnants to dry. He was well aware that he 
was doing wrong, for without my speaking to him, he made off the moment he saw me, going 
very quickly and hiding himself in the case of the kitchen clock in his own home. 
“By this act, the servants knew he had been doing mischief, as this was his place of 
refuge when he was in trouble or disgrace. 
“One day he watched the cook while she was preparing some partridges for dinner, and 
I suppose that in his own mind he considered that all birds ought to be so treated, for he 
managed to get into the yard where his mistress kept a few pet bantam fowls, and after rob- 
bing them of their eggs, he secured one of the poor hens, with which he proceeded to the 
kitchen, and then commenced plucking it. The noise that the poor bird made brought some 
of the servants to the rescue, but they found it in such a pitiful and bleeding state, that in 
mercy it was at once killed. 
“After this outrageous act, Mr. Monkey was chained up, which humiliated him so much 
that he steadily refused his food, and soon died.” 
Monkey flesh forms a favorite article of food with the human inhabitants of the same 
country, and is said to be tolerably good eating, though extremely dry and sapless. Part of 
this fault seems, however, to lie with the very primitive style of cooking which is prevalent 
in those regions, and which is achieved by running a sharp stake through the animal’s body, 
and letting it roast before the fire. 
Europeans find a difficulty in accustoming themselves to the sight of broiled monkey ; for 
